Chapter 313: The Art of the Punch
Lyria's POV
Earl Hawthorne stood still for a long moment after the four gentlemen departed, his gaze fixed upon the closed doors as though he half expected them to burst open once again.
When they did not, he let out another breath.
This one was softer than the first and carried a note of relief.
"Now then, Your Highness," he said, turning to face me, "where were we?"
I smiled at him.
"I b-believe you were a-assessing my m-muscles," I reminded him.
"Ah, yes," he replied, a hint of amusement flickering across his features. "So I was."
He closed the distance between us once more, his hands coming to rest lightly upon my shoulders.
"Forgive me for the interruption," he said softly. "I had not anticipated such an audience."
"It is q-quite all right," I assured him. "I found it r-rather... educational."
"Educational?" he repeated with a raised brow. "And what, pray tell, was educational about that?"
A quiet laugh escaped me.
